Re: Estimating a Project - A real lulu

Subject: Re: Estimating a Project - A real lulu
From: John Posada <jposada01 -at- YAHOO -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 19:43:25 -0700

Tracey...

It doesn't really matter if any of us have done
something like that in the timeframe you
outlined...we're not doing it and if someone out of
4,000 subscribers had done it, it doesn't mean that
you could.

To be honest, I don't think I could, and this is based
on not the things that are known, but the things that
aren't. It's the unknown steps that will bite you in
the butt, and the schedule outlined leaves no roon for
any unknowns. None.

Obviously, nobody in their right mind planned for this
timeframe, which means that there are factors that you
aren't aware of that contributed to this schedule. How
do you know the factors aren't still there?

Who are you training? Doesn't leave much room for
getting to know your audience? Are they rocket
scientists or is 8th grade level reading a challenge?
Do you know enough about the subject to write/rewrite
content on your own?

What happens if the screen shots show up one day late?
What if they come in as a format you aren't prepared
for? (What do you mean you can't handle screenshots
from a UNIX workstation? We have no problem creating
them.) Have you seen the screenshots? Do you have to
crop them from the complete Windows desktop? Resize
them? Convert dofferent colors to gray scale?

What if it's a crap Word template. Getting one doesn't
mean you are getting a usable one...take it from one
who knows...were you around for my post about the
corrupted footer in a template that was given to me? I
ended up working almost 8 hours just to replicate
their format.

What happens if you cannot understand the handwritten
content? What happens if the printer is an idiot and
doesn't know postscript from a movie script?

Shall I go on? I could go on for hours.

If it were me, I'd pass..or get LOTS of money...the
equivilent of at least $1,000 per day and lots of
monetary enhancements for every thing they do that
delays your schedule; such as $500 per day for each
day that they are late getting you something, etc..

This is a very tough gig...Make them pay alot for it.

--- temoore -at- BELLSOUTH -dot- NET wrote:
> I had a client contact me yesterday to discuss doing
> a training manual.
> I have exactly 8 days to finish the manual and get
> it to the printer.
> Here are the details:
>
> Rough text will be provided in handwritten format
> that will need to be
> edited for consistency and grammar.
> 12 chapters totalling an estimated 100 pages.
> 120 screen shots provided in bitmap format.
> Import screen shots into document and add callouts
> explaining items
> contained on screen shot referencing instuctions.
> Word template provided.
> No index at this time.
> Document must be done in Word (this is not
> negotiable to my client, so
> please don't say Do it Framemaker!!!)
>
> By my own personal estimates, this can't be done in
> 8 days. What do you
> guys think? Have any of you had a similar deadline?
> What was your
> experience and the result? Were you successful?
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> --
> -----------------------------------
> Tracey Moore
> Technical Writer/Web Site Designer
> -----------------------------------
> Web Potatoes
> www.webpotatoes.com

===
John Posada
Western Union International
(w) jposada -at- westernunion -dot- com
(p) john -at- tdandw -dot- com
_____________________________________________________________
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